1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an eyeglass frame, especially to an eyeglass frame including a temple in which an elastic portion is provided so that a soft usability can be obtained and a new design can be provided.
2. Description of the Related Art
A general eyeglass frame has a front portion in which lenses are fitted, a hinge portion provided on each of both ends of the front portion, and a temple connected to each of the both ends of the front portion via the hinge. A temple having a metal body portion comprising a hinge piece of the hinge and a resin end tip is often used. Further, in order to improve a comfortable fit when a user wears eyeglasses, a hinge including an elastic body such as a spring or the like has been used.
That is, the connection structure is a so-called spring hinge and the configuration in which an elasticity of the elastic body functions to allow the eyeglass frame to fit sides of a user's head when the temples are opened is known. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-290108 discloses a connection structure using a coil spring as shown in FIG. 8.
The connection structure 180 is configured to connect a front portion 120 and a temple 130. In a connection part of the temple 130, a moving frame 190 in which a coil spring 191 is provided is provided. When the temple 130 is further opened than a state where the temple 130 is opened, that is, when the temple 130 is further opened from an opened position where the temple is opened, an end 129 of the front portion 120 contacts an end 199 of the moving frame 190 so that the coil spring 191 is compressed and therefore a restoring force is generated to bias the temple 130 in a direction to be turned back to an opened position of the temple 130.
However, the connection structure 180 requires a large connection part of the temple 130, as well as members such as the coil spring 191, the moving frame 190 in which the coil spring is housed, and the like. Accordingly, time and efforts are required in their manufacturing and repairs due to the complex structure.
Then, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-165193 discloses a connection structure using a plate spring instead of the coil spring, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B. Here, FIG. 9A shows a state where a temple 230 is opened at the opened position and FIG. 9B shows a state where the temple 230 is further opened from the opened position.
In the connection structure 280, one end of the plate spring 291 is screwed at an end of the front portion 220 and one hinge piece 251 of the hinge 250 is fixed at the other end of the plate spring 291. Then, in the state of FIG. 9A where the temple 230 is opened at the opened position, the plate spring 291 is not affected by any forces and in the state of FIG. 9B where the temple 230 is further opened from the opened position, the plate spring 291 is affected by a force and deformed so that a restoring force to turn the temple back to the opened position, that is, to be in the state of FIG. 9A is generated.
However, in the connection structure 280, the plate spring 291 is fixed only at one point on the end of the front portion 220, so that the plate spring 291 easily gets rickety to the front portion 220. Accordingly, there is a problem in that the temple 230 easily gets rickety to the front portion 220.